You Are What You Judge
by MihoAnsatsu
Summary: It's a new year of Clint City's Got Talent, with new judges and a new policy where only the non-clan public can take part. However, showbusiness is never that straightforward and the judging panel gains a member with a hunger for more than talent. But how will his judging experience go? And will a worthy winner be picked this year?
1. Prologue

The very moment that the winner of Clint City's Got Talent 2012 was announced, around 7 million jaws felt themselves gape open, with Colin's gaping most of all. Had this what talent had become, or the level that Clint City had allowed themselves to drop to? They hadn't wanted to vote for it, but they had felt this strange fascination overcome them as they picked up the phone to allow this violation of nature another chance to shock them.

Too disgusted to pay attention to the victory speech, Colin leant over to Stella and spoke in hushed tones to avoid prying ears. However, the camera once again never missed a beat and the Upper could be seen to say "Next year, we're strictly sticking to the neutral public." It was obvious that Colin blamed the devil-may-care attitudes of the clans, hence why they entered with their own weird and wonderful. Except that night, it had just been weird.

In the space of twelve months, however, it would seem that Colin would not only have a new audition policy, but a new set of judges; he himself had new projects and commitments to oversee, Stella was in the midst of writing her second album and Igor was currently in the hospital after a playful magic trick with Ironfield had gone horribly wrong. But commitments and confinement were never anything that Colin had worried about, and he was sure as sure that his new panel of judges would attract just as much, if not more auditionee attention.

But, unfortunately, nothing in showbusiness was ever that simple or straightforward...


	2. Part 1

"Seriously?! He picks _now_ to go and get himself all cancerfied?!"

Colin was never the best person to be around when it came to plans falling apart. He wasn't a perfectionist, far from it, but he hated it when things didn't go his way. And it seemed that this time round, the person to blame was Dorian, despite the fact that the influential had had no choice in his predicament, or that he wasn't even there to defend himself.

"So this year's Clint City's Got Talent may have to be put on hold, big deal. I'd rather have to wait for that then wait for the news that we're permanently one Upper down."

"Don't even suggest that!"

The last words had been a simultaneous, shocked outrage from both Colin and Pallack, the former furious at suggestions of putting one of his most popular, moneymaking shows on the hold and the latter nearly breaking down at the mere thought of Dorian's permanent departure. The suggestionee, Jonas, couldn't help feeling terrible at that point, immediately backing down and rushing to Pallack's side to try and comfort him.

"He's going to be ok," He said softly, rubbing his clan mate's back. "The Rescue will pinpoint the problem and stop anything from spreading."

"Still, who's going to be the third judge for this year?" Colin asked, raising his voice a little to imply his importance. "We actually got a huge influx of applicants because they wanted to try and impress Dorian Brown. I hate to admit it but the little ratings hijacker does have his uses."

"Simple, really," Pallack began, managing to calm his voice as he wiped away the dregs of tears from his eyes. "You need to find someone who invokes that same desire to impress. And if it isn't out of admiration, make it out of intimidation."

"Your English has gotten really good, you know that?" Jonas said, a huge grin on his face as he pulled Pallack close with an arm round the shoulder; his grin only getting wider when the Italian responded with a somewhat simpering 'Grazie'.

"Ok, Pallack," Colin said, raising an eyebrow. "Who do you think is the best choice?"

At that moment, the conversation gained one more member as Tino opened the door, having to resort to his foot as he cradled a infant male in his arms; sighing as he noticed the three males, it was soon made clear that he had located the wrong room.

"Christo...I'll never get used to the layout of this place," he groaned, managing to keep himself from slipping a frustrated 'fucking' into his words for Francesco Angelo's sake. "Where's the kitchen?"

"End of the hallway," Jonas said, shaking his head in a bemused manner. "This is like, what, the third time this week?"

"Tino," Pallack then said, glancing at the Montana and then turning his attention to Colin with a smile on his face. "It's Tino."

"I didn't do it," the male in question then gabbled, suddenly looking alarmed. "Whatever you're trying to blame me for, I didn't do it, you didn't see me, you can't prove anything."

"You're not in trouble. Not just yet anyway," Colin said, sounding a little blunt and irritated. "We need someone to replace Dorian in this year's judging panel and Pallack just said you're the best choice. I think it might be to do with the whole admiration and intimidation thing he mentioned earlier."

"You mean Clint City's Got Talent? Go fuck yourself, Colin," Tino sneered, before covering his mouth in frustration at swearing infront of his infant son. "Now look what you made me do...oh dio, you're actually serious, aren't you?"

"The auditions start tomorrow, Tino," he replied, his eyebrow raised once again but this time he chuckled slightly. "It's not like I have all the time in the world to find someone else. But then let's be fair. It's not like you don't have talent. Yeah, I've heard you sing with Bianca. If I held the Clint Factor tomorrow and you auditioned, you'd easily make the final three."

Hearing praise like that from the likes of Colin was enough to make the cannibal's cheeks flush to the same shade as his rose pink glasses; the other males not sure where to look or what to do, as the whole experience of this tough, grizzly gangster suddenly blushing like a schoolgirl was really weird for them. But in a sense, it made Tino seem a bit more human in their eyes.

"Can I just ask though," Tino then began, managing to regain the composure in his voice. "Whose shoes would I be having to fill?"

"Dorian's," Colin immediately responded, sounding harsh and uncaring. "Only had to go and get himself all cancerfied."

"So that's why he was headed for the hospital this morning," the Montana male pondered, looking rather concerned. "Cancer's never good. I can only imagine how hard it'll be for him if he has to undergo extensive chemo."

Realising that the object of his affections would more than likely lose his hair, Pallack couldn't help bursting into tears again with a pained 'He's too beautiful for that!'; finding it all a little too much, he found himself escorted out of the room by Jonas, who simply gave the two remaining males a single nod.

"So will you do it?" Colin asked, keeping his tone neutral but feeling rather hopeful; his hope soon extinguished when Tino simply shook his head and went on his way to the kitchen, though he couldn't help but feel grateful for being let down gently. He couldn't force Tino, and with powerful forces behind the blonde, well...Colin may have been a big name himself but he wasn't brave or stupid enough to tangle with Don's nasty side.

A couple of hours later, just before the clan's evening meal, Colin had still not had a stroke of luck finding a new judge through the many phone calls he'd found himself forced to make. He was currently in the kitchen, making light work of a glass of scotch in a bid to try and make himself feel better, though he'd soon have to make himself scarce if he didn't want Elliott yelling at him and giving him a headache.

However, when the door opened itself just a few moments later, it was not the pink-haired swearaholic, nor was it his calmer, French counterpart whom they called Maurice.

"You staying for dinner again, Tino?"

"I'm _making_ dinner," was the blunt response, with the questioned male not even making eye contact with Colin as he began to scope out the cooking utensils. "Hope you like steak, because that's what's on the menu."

With nothing more than a shrug and scotch still in hand, the Upper began to make his way towards the kitchen door; pausing a little whilst he waited for Tino to get his head out of the cupboard, he simply had the following words on his mind.

"Clint City Theatre, 8am. That's if you change your mind of course. And I know you will."

"Yeah, whatever," was the gruff reply, not really paying attention to the other male's words nor taking them to heart. There was no way that the audience would treat or see him like the tempting steak that he was currently preparing. If anything, he'd be...well, then was not the time to be distracted by food analogies, lest Tino wanted to lose a finger before it was time to eat...


	3. Part 1 5

Despite having stayed for dinner, Tino had been in no hurry to stay the night on that particular occasion and had called on his clanmate Ricardo to pick him up. The two men had casually been chatting and swapping dirty jokes but there was only so long before Ricardo couldn't ignore the fact that Tino wasn't entirely his usual loud yet relaxed self.

"You seem tense," the Cuban said, glancing at the blonde from the corner of his eye in a concerned way. "Anything happen at the Tower that you want to talk about?"

"Colin asked me to be a judge on this year's talent show."

"Wow," Ricardo responded, turning silent as he took in the news before trying to give a proper response. "Just...wow."

"I know, right. He's making an offer to the wrong man. You know who the wrong man is?"

"The one who actually can refuse?"

Ricardo could feel himself cringing at how cliché he was being, though he felt himself relax upon hearing Tino's sudden burst of friendly laughter.

"No, silly. You can refuse and still be the right man for the job. It's me. I'm the wrong man. Yeah, I was on the show a few years ago but that was different. I was a contestant, I wasn't thrown into their faces during every show. As a judge, I'd be a regular. I know what people say about me, Ricardo, I've heard them all. Freak, Monster...Buta."

"To be fair, that last one's kinda become an affectionate nickname, you know. Since you and Aniki made up and all," Ricardo began, before sighing at the fact that he was changing the subject. "But back to Colin and his offer. I say you do it. Even if you get fired after the first show and they chose someone that the audience immediately take to their hearts, at least you had the experience, right?"

Hearing the way Ricardo had worded it, Tino was glad that he was the only client in the taxi; had any of his 'brothers' been in the backseat with him, especially Enzo, there inevitably would have been something said along the lines of 'Hah! Story of his life with Fabio."

And as the only client in the taxi, it gave him more time to think more clearly about Colin's offer. Perhaps Ricardo was right. What worse could happen than being fired after the first show?


	4. Part 2

As he sat at the left end of the judges' table, Tino felt nervous and not just because of the obvious reason of him never being a talent show judge before. It hadn't been easy trying to come up with a viable excuse for skipping the heist, as Don knew every little thing about everyone and it always worked to his advantage. Like the time that Donnie had used the excuse that his mother was ill, and Don retorted with the fact that the younger Montana wouldn't even piss on her if she was on fire. However, he'd seemed to buy Tino's excuse of paying _Le Pain De Vie_ to help Maurice with cooking; Tino was already an excellent chef but it didn't hurt to spend time with the professionals. Of course, Don would find out the truth when it came round to watching the auditions upon airing time, but it would be in the past and nothing could be done to change it.

Staring at the two empty spaces next to him, he couldn't tell whether he was the first to arrive or not supposed to be sitting at the table at all; his concerns soon quelled when a very familiar, sparkly clutch bag caught his eye from under the table, and it's owner, Lady, making her way from what could only be presumed to be the theatre's lobby.

"Oh my gawd, Tino, hello!" She chirped, tottering over in her heels to give him a hug and what they called an 'air kiss' on both his cheeks.

"Hi Faye," he replied, returning the favour by actually kissing her on the cheek, which caused her to giggle in a mixture of awkwardness and appreciation. Though it soon turned out that she was more embarrassed by the fact he called her actual name, Faye.

"Ok, I'll let you off now but it's Lady infront of the cameras, got that?" She playfully retorted as she sat herself down; beginning to take a sip of her water as she noticed the glass on the table, she then turned to Tino again, an expression on her face as if she had a burning question on her mind.

"So what made you change your mind, anyway?"

"Who do you think?" Tino responded, chuckling a little before noticing the touched look on Lady's face. "Not you, you silly cagna! It was actually Ricardo...we had a talk on the way home in his taxi and he reckoned the best thing to do was to give it a go. And you know, if it doesn't work then the worst is that I get sacked. Not like I have a sweet and light reputation to ruin."

"You can say that again."

Noticing that the voice was male, Tino peered at the other end of the judging table and couldn't help a smile form on his face when he noticed none other than Palmer. They'd worked together before but this would be the first time that they'd be partners in entertainment. And it seemed that through their previous partnering, Palmer could already sense the burning question inside of the Montana's head, shaking his head and chuckling at the other male's eagerness.

"I only got asked because I used to judge shows in the places I travelled to. Apparently, that makes me well-learned in terms of talent. As to why I said yes...I really do not know."

To be honest, Tino didn't care one bit about his reasons. He was just pleased that both of the other judges were people he considered to be close friends, and he needed as much familiarity as he could get when he felt the sea of strangers that were the audience behind him. Judges were judged too, and it was often within the first five minutes.

"Erm...won't it be a little weird though if any of our clans step onto that stage?"

"Colin made the show strictly for the public this year," Lady replied, smiling. "No clans allowed. Of course, that won't stop anyone trying to pose as a complete neutral but they always get found out."

"Especially with your feckin' sense of smell," Palmer said, shuddering a little and sounding rather disgusted. "I swear your mom did whoopee with a shark. Or a pitbull."

Managing to laugh it off, Tino returned his attention to the plastic pot that had been placed on the panel just five minutes before; soon revealing itself to be a pot of noodles, the blonde decided that nothing was better than to start digging in.

"Tino, they're set to send the first auditionee on at any minute," Lady protested, sounding concerned. "This isn't the best time to be-"

"Can't care right now, eating."

"Eighteen health code violations broken just by agreeing to judge with you," Palmer muttered, sounding far more freaked out than irritated when he noticed the odd bits of flesh that were sticking to the Montana's noodles. "Make that nineteen."

"Just send them on," Tino said, ushering the stage manager with his fork. "Seriously, it's no big deal. Do you guys stop eating when your favourite show comes on? I don't think so."

On paper, it had sounded like a jibe but it was all in good humour if the Montana's chuckling meant anything, and the cannibal being in a good mood also seemed to be the best thing for calming the first auditionee's nerves.

"Hi there," Palmer said, giving a single wave at the petite brunette who had stepped onto the stage. "What's your name and how old are you?"

"I'm Anya," she said, her voice soft and stance shaking, making it obvious that she had nerves. "I'm 24 years old."

"It's ok, Anya," he then said, smiling warmly at her. "Just take your time. Where are you from?"

"I'm originally from Balgenheim," she said, her accent beginning to show itself here and there. "But I've lived in Clint City since I was five."

"And what's the act?"

"Believe it or not, I'm what they call a professional regurgitator."

The words 'professional regurgitator' were enough to make Tino stop and put his pot of noodles to the side for that time being; his expression an odd mixture of disgust and curiosity, he simply said 'Show us what you've got' and prepared for the worst.

However, his initial feeling couldn't have been more wrong. Yes, it was a somewhat disgusting concept but the act was tasteful and it seemed that Anya had honed her skill in such a way to offend as least people as possible, like removing any traces of audible retching and wiping the little specks of saliva that kept sticking to the corners of her mouth. For Tino, she was almost like a polar opposite of Grudj from the Freaks- whereas he kept everything down, she could bring everything up.

And it seemed that Anya was the first in a string of successful and entertaining auditions, with acrobats, singers, dancers (of the two legged and four legged variety), musicians, magicians and all sorts of talent stepping onto the stage. Of course, a few buzzers had to be pressed and a few acts had to face harsh reality checks alongside the judges at times- Tino had pressed the buzzer on a kid but immediately redeemed himself by stepping onto the stage and personally apologising to him. It was probably a blessing that the kid didn't exactly know who this blonde, purple-clad stranger was, and it was just as much a blessing that the audience were quick to forgive a man who was good with kids.

As Tino was returning to his seat at the judges' table, Lady couldn't help but put an arm around his shoulder to help his sudden twinge of shock.

"You made a mistake, and mistakes happen," she said, in a reassuring tone. "That was a really sweet thing you did, and I think you've won these guys over because of it."

Palmer didn't seem quite as forgiving, scolding the other male with a somewhat annoyed "Really?! On a _kid?!_ You never buzz a kid! You wait until their act's over and then gently let them down. It's the first rule of judging, _Christ_!" However, it was just a few moments before the Sentinel was calm with him again, laughing and joking with playful banter that the viewers at home would love when it came to airing time...


	5. Part 3

"Sorry to seem like a complete pain...but possible I could crash with you guys, tonight? Judging is more exhausting than it looks."

The first day of auditions was finally over, and Tino found himself leaning back in his chair in a pained way that screamed that whilst it was enjoyable, he was glad it was finally over. Procedures had run slightly longer than usual, and the Montana was in no mood to travel back to Borgia's Palace on the other side of the city.

"Sure thing," Lady replied, seeming rather happy at the possibility of the fellow blonde staying over. "I'll just let my little Uppers monsters know, and make sure you tell your little Montana monsters, ok?"

Effortlessly taking his mobile phone out of his pocket, Tino was quick to dial the numbers and hold the device to his ear; the ringing barely having started when he was subject to a million and one frantic questions and barely a single hello. There were only so many times he could try to politely interrupt and calm the situation before he had to stop caring about not seeming rude and just cut off the other end's vocals.

"Simon, get off the fucking phone."

"I will not get off the fucking phone," the lawyer hissed, sounding unusually concerned. "You get off the fucking phone and get back from where you really are. You're so lucky that Don doesn't know. He decided to surprise you with a visit to Le Pain De Vie, see how you were doing. Maurice managed to fob him off with a story that you'd drawn blood and gone back to the Tower. I'll never know how Don didn't see right past that. I did. Because there's no way you could have drawn blood and not wrecked something in your wake-"

"No one asked for your life story," Tino interrupted, desperate to shut Simon up. "Anyway, I'm not going to be at the Palace tonight, something came up and blah blah blah. Just tell the others that I'm not there and if they don't like it, tough."

Before Simon could start frantically asking questions again, the Montana then cut the call, shaking his head in a somewhat annoyed manner as he placed his phone back into his pocket, careful not to replace it in such a way that he didn't accidentally pocket-dial anyone; the last thing he wanted was to ring Simon again and have the lawyer's voice ringing in his pocket all night long.

"Bad news, Tino," Lady began, having cut her call at the same time and looking somewhat disappointed. "Something happened and it's strictly an Uppers affair. Zlatar's words, not mine. You may have to stay with the Sentinel tonight. You going to be alright?"

"Meh, I'll be fine," the male said, giving a slightly dismissive waving gesture but it was all in good humour. Noticing Palmer adjusting his canvas bag and hitching it onto his shoulders, Tino was quick to approach him before the Sentinel was too far away to stop listening or caring.

"Palmer," he began, tapping him on the shoulder. "I'm gonna have to crash with your lot, tonight."

The other male couldn't help sighing, but it was a sigh with a smile as he then gave a slightly uneasy yet sure nod. It wasn't as if he had a choice in the manner anyway.

-

The next morning spelt a bacon and eggs breakfast for the Sentinel, with Luke and Malia being first at the table; the former looking tired as all sin and the latter looking rather concerned for her clanmate's welfare.

"Are you...are you alright?" She asked, taking a sip of her orange juice before she nibbled at her toast; being the fitness enthusiast that she was, Malia had, of course, denied fatty bacon and greasy eggs.

"You try going to sleep when you know that..._thing_ is sleeping in the room next to you," Luke replied, stammering a little as he shuddered.

"Oh dear lawd, your anthro," Malia then gasped, immediately dropping her toast and rushing over to give her clanmate a comforting hug; doing her best not to get her buttery fingers on his blue shirt, she couldn't help but relax along with him when she felt his tense state slowly fade. Nearly every Sentinel was empathetic when it came to Luke's 'anthro' (or anthropophagusaphobia), having felt some form of fear when facing Tino that even an empowering gun couldn't quell. And for Luke, it was rather severe, with the cannibal's presence being the only time when the cover-man needed covering.

And it would seem the cannibal's presence would come sooner than predicted that morning, as Luke and Malia heard familiar voices coming down the stairs.

"I don't think it's a good idea going downstairs until Luke's gone," they heard Palmer say, sounding somewhat hesitant and as if he was physically trying to block Tino from going downstairs.

"I'm not staying for breakfast. I wanna stop off at Jeracobi's before today's auditions, grab myself a muffin and collect the protection money."

"...why do I have the horrible feeling you're gonna flesh up that muffin?"

But Tino had zipped his way down the stairs and out of the front door before Palmer could get an answer, but it didn't matter. His attention was soon caught by noticing the cowering Luke under the table, who managed to spit out a shaky '...is he gone?'. Shaking his head in a mixture of concern and irritation, Palmer offered a hand to his shaken clanmate before turning his attention to his morning meal, all the while checking the time to make sure he wasn't going to be late for that day's auditions.

-

"What's your name, and how old are you?"

Asking the old question to a new auditionee, Tino couldn't help but seem intrigued as he looked the slim, dark-haired female up and down; there seemed to be a familiar air about her, a familiar smell but he swore he'd never seen her before in his life. Who did she remind him of...Bella, that was it. And whilst Bella did have black hair, this female's hair seemed so black that it looked dyed, and he'd heard his female clanmate vainly say many a time that she'd never put chemical rubbish to hair as good as hers.

They soon learned that her name was Carmela, a twenty-eight year old singer who happened to have Hispanic roots but had been born in Clint City. Her voice was like the sweetest honey, with Palmer dubbing her a little too safe as he'd wanted something to really show off some powerful vocal work. Upon hearing the Sentinel's constructive criticism, Tino and Lady couldn't help but look impressed- for someone who knew less about choral and more about coral, Palmer actually knew what he was talking about.

Next up was Brady, a thirty-seven year old, African-American impressionist who neatly stepped into the roles of all his 'victims', including Lady's love and fellow Upper, Jonas.

"My boyfriend doesn't sound like that!" She protested, just about managing to get the words out between her delicate bursts of laughter.

"No, of course not," Brady replied, grinning rather deviously before letting his voice drop into a gruff tone not dissimilar to the Montana male's. "He sounds like this."

Despite the fact it was in good faith, the auditionee so found himself fleeing the stage when he noticed the dark look on Tino's face, which was soon revealed to be due to the implications of being unfaithful to Bianca and not his actual impression. Brady managed to get himself back on stage long enough for the judges to discuss his performance and come to the decision that he was going through to the semi-final selection process. And he seemed eager to save his skin, hastily making his exit again before Tino could approach him to apologise for his snap reaction.

"You just can't win, can you?" He said, chuckling and shaking his head as he returned to the judges' panel. Noticing Palmer's irked expression, he couldn't help chuckling again until he realised just how serious the Sentinel was, but since the whole city and their mothers knew about Tino's close friendship with clanmate Desmond, it was near enough impossible that anyone would dare to call racism.

Besides, it would be a good few weeks before the auditions aired, and all would be beyond caring if any complaints came to surface as a result. The only thing that anyone really cared about was getting through the rest of the day's auditions..


	6. Part 3 5

As the stage crew began to tidy away the equipment to protect them until the next and final day of auditions, Lady found herself sitting on the edge of the stage and looking at the activity around her, as if she was contemplating. Noticing Tino and Palmer generally chatting and occasionally laughing with each other, she couldn't help but smile at how both of the males had come into their own in regards to judging; both knowing what they liked and not afraid to show it, and their gut feelings paying off when it resulted in an unforgettable audition. Of course, some of the auditions were unforgettable for other reasons, but Lady was glad that they'd all been present to witness the truly outstanding talent.

"Do you need to crash with us police again?" She heard Palmer ask, watching him grin in a mixture of cheekiness and nervousness.

"I think it's best if I return to the Palace tonight," Tino replied, playfully poking the Sentinel's head and causing him to wince in a rather uncomfortable manner. "The guys get dangerous when they get worried, especially when I'm involved. Only one who can get rid of the evidence, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," Palmer said, shuddering a little but managing to laugh it off. "Anyway, I'm off now. Just try not to kill anyone on your way back."

Watching Palmer exit by the stage wings, in a bid to avoid the crowds that were most likely forming at the front of the theatre, Tino found his attention soon caught by a split-second glint on the middle of the stage floor. Bounding up the stage stairs and approaching the unknown object, he was soon in possession of what looked like a silver high heel. And he knew exactly where it was there aswell.

"This must be from that dance act earlier," he said, handling it rather gently for a man who didn't care much about female footwear. "You know, the girl who tripped up and nearly broke her leg."

That afternoon in the auditions, an all female-dance troupe that called themselves Estrella had presented an impressive routine , but had suffered a fall in morale in the form of one of their slightly less confident members taking a sudden trip on stage. The mere fact that she hadn't immediately bounced back from her fall meant that the judges had nearly been persuaded to call the Rescue, especially when her eventual rise from the floor resulted in a shaking leg that seemed to be bending slightly in the wrong direction. Luckily, the bending had just been an illusion of her costume and despite a little knock to her confidence, the troupe member had been perfectly alright, much to the relief of her fellow dancers.

With shoe still in hand, Tino had a somewhat devious yet affectionate look on his face as he turned his attention to and began to approach Lady, causing the female Upper to seem a little suspicious at said look; it was the kind of look she often saw on Jonas, and it often meant a flirtacious (or even sometimes perverse) act or comment was about to take place.

"I'm looking for the girl who fits this heel, for she is to be my bride and princess. Could she be you, fair maiden?"

"Tino!" Lady protested, suddenly laughing and feeling herself blush a little at the sudden bout of attention; even kicking out a little when the Montana tried to take her shoe off to replace it with the heel.

"You know I'm just messing. Here, you'll have more use for this than me," he said, grinning as he handed her the heel. "I'm off back to the Palace now. Stay safe and send my love to Bianca."


	7. Part 4

"You don't deserve her, my frieeeeeeeeeend!"

Singing to himself as he made his way past Murphy and the double glass doors of Borgia's Palace, Tino was doing his best to stay in his good mood; one encounter with any of his more serious clanmates would be enough to bring it down, and he wanted to keep his 'high' as long as possible.

Doing his best not to bump into any of the passing gamblers, especially the drunker and more suggestible ones, he noticed Ace engrossed in what looked like an endless round of roulette and wondered whether he could get away with scaring the hell out of the croupier. That, or suddenly stealing the ball from the wheel when it looked like the house was going to win big.

"No more bets please," Ace calmly said, throwing the silver ball in the wheel as it span round and round, half a dozen pairs of eyes fixated on every spin as if their lives, and not just their finances, depended on it.

"And the winner is-"

"Yoink!"

"Oh for fuck's sake, Tino," Ace groaned, "I was just about to clean up there!"

"Hey, you can thank me later when you've been able to toy with them a bit more," was the calm, cheeky reply as the cannibal gently threw the silver ball back into the croupier's grasp. "That, and you're just too fun to annoy."

"Tino! It's good to see you again."

Feeling an unfamiliar figure suddenly tap his shoulder, the blonde turned around to find none other than Anya, who was looking at him with a genuine smile on her face.

"Hey Anya," he said, calmly smiling back. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Oh, I've always been a regular at the Palace," she explained, chuckling a little. "But you've probably never noticed me. I just wanted to thank you for giving me a chance."

"Tino, what did Don say about giving people chances and letting them slip under the radar?" Ace asked, sounding irritated until he realised what he'd just asked. "Oh wait, that's Griezzo who was warned about that. Tino, just what the hell is going on?"

"I let this one have a chance at the live semi-finals," he responded, putting an arm around Anya's shoulder and pulling her close.

"Wait, live semi-finals? As in the _Clint City's Got Talent_ live semi-finals?"

Ace couldn't help staring at his clanmate and the stranger for a few moments, confusion etched on his face. However, he soon found himself sniggering in an amused manner when he found the unintentionally funny side of Tino's words.

"Hah, that's a good one. As if _you'd_ be judging on something like that. You should go on as a comedian."

Had he bothered to look their way as he turned his attention back to the chips on the table, Ace may have noticed the devious, knowing glance that Tino and Anya were darting at each other. However, he was soon given a reason to give a damn again when a black male approached his clanmate, grinning as if he'd been issued some kind of favour.

"Tino, I just wanted to thank you for saying yes to my brother. I know he didn't get through but your yes meant the world to him."

"And your brother was...?"

"Lenny Holland", the male replied, still grinning as he then offered himself for a handshake. "I'm Levi Holland, Clint City disk-jockey."

"Hey, I know you," Ace said, sounding a little awestruck but keeping his distance as he watched his clanmate shake Levi's hand. "Clint City's Jazz Hour on Tuesday afternoons, right?"

"That's right," Levi said, sounding pleased at the recognition. "Didn't think any of the_Montana_ would be listening to my show. But here you are, man. Can I get a fan a drink?"

"I'm actually on the table at the moment," Ace then said, his mind pondering on whether or not to take advantage of a special opportunity. "But it can wait for one drink. Hey, did that story with the cat and the hosepipe actually happen because Simon and I have this bet going..."

Watching Levi and Ace make their way towards the bar (with the croupier announcing "I'll be back in five!"), Tino thought it best to began making his way to the living quarters, if only to retire to his room after another exhausting yet rewarding day of judging. Reaching the familiar sight of his door and letting himself in, he kicked off his shoes, hitched off his leather jacket, let himself drop onto the bed and decided to go to sleep right there and then. It wasn't the first time he'd slept in his clothes and it certainly wouldn't be his last. However, sleep soon had to wait upon the sudden banging on his door and the furious voice that accompanied it.

"Martino Martinet, open this door right now!"

"Go away," he replied, his tiredness slurring his words. "I'm trying to sleep."

With a deep sigh, it seemed that the tone at the other side of the door had soon turned from conflicted to concerned; the door then slowly opening to reveal Don, Tino couldn't help but feel his heart sink a little, despite the older male's slightly smiling expression.

"It's only half past ten," he said, shaking his head and chuckling at the sprawled figure on the bed. "What the hell have you been up to? I've barely seen you over the last few days."

"If I tell you the truth, do you promise not to get mad?"

That one question rang all sorts of alarm bells in Don's head, but he managed to drown them out; if there was one thing he commended in his gangsters, it was honesty, and he would do the honourable thing by keeping his word despite what Tino had in store for him. His single nod was enough for the blonde to just spit it out.

"I've been judging auditions down at the theatre, for Clint City's Got Talent. Colin...he needed someone to replace Dorian because of his cancer scare, well, it's more than a scare, it's been confirmed but they think they can hit it hard because it's been found early. Mi scusi, I'm going off the subject. Basically, Colin asked me and I initially said no because why would anyone want _me_? I'm hardly anything to look at and I scare everyone. But then I spoke with Ricardo and decided to do it...and here we are. If you're going to blame anyone, blame Ricardo, honestly!"

Tino had only tried to throw Ricardo in hot water when he'd noticed the mob boss' somewhat hesitant and disapproving expression, but it was soon clear that he needn't have worried so much.

"Oh thank dio for that," Don sighed, sounding rather relieved alongside his 'son'. "I thought you were going to say that you'd been hanging out with those hippies and turned vegetarian or something like that. And now I think about it, Maurice did seem a little uneasy explaining to me about you having drawn blood."

He then took hold of Tino's hand, as if he was searching for any signs of cuts or healing. When he was satisfied that he couldn't find anything, he ruffled the blonde's hair as if he was dealing with the likes of Angelo instead of the adult in his company. Without another word but with a smile on his face, Don then simply nodded at his 'son' before making his way out of the door and unexpectedly bumping into another 'son', who seemed frantic as anything.

"Don, I really need to talk to you about-"

"Not now, Enzo," he interrupted, immediately rebuking the younger male and sighing when said younger male simply followed him. The whole situation caused Tino to chuckle as he shuffled to get himself comfortable, but it also made him think how quick Don's mood could turn in the right or wrong situation. And he was simply glad that his had been the right situation, as who knew how the Don would have reacted if...well, he didn't want to think about that.


	8. Part 5

The next morning was the third and final day of the Clint City's Got Talent auditions, and like the other two mornings, the three judges were ready and primed at their panel to receive the remaining talent of that year's applications; well, two of them were, as Lady and Palmer were eager to go, but it was difficult to begin proceedings when they had Tino sprawled forward on his third of the judging table. After a few moments of silent prodding, it was made clear that the Montana had fallen asleep, if the gentle, growl-like snoring meant anything.

"Someone needs to wake him up," one of the cameramen said, sounding rather concerned but he was also making it rather clear that he wasn't volunteering to do it; his concerns then quelled when Lady, after exchanging a knowing look with Palmer, began to poke the blond in the shoulder. When he showed no sign of stirring, the female then made her poke sharper and harder, resulting in Tino suddenly turning in his slumber but still deep in sleep.

At that moment, Colin walked onto the stage in his checks to ensure all was well before he allowed the audience into their seats. However, one look at the sleeping Montana was enough to cause a chuckle and a shake of his head before he rose his radio mic to his mouth.

"Hey! Clint City to Tino, wake up!"

The sudden burst of volume was enough to cause a slow, groan-filled return to reality as the blond felt his eyes flicker open to the harsh lights.

"Oh...hey Colin," Tino said, smiling sleepily before feeling a yawn overcome him. "Sorry for my state, I didn't have the best night's sleep last night."

"Can someone get my favourite replacement a coffee please?" Colin announced, his attention then turning back to the blond male as he shook his head and chuckled. "What are you like, eh?"

"Actually, cancel the coffee," was the sleepy yet understandable counter-order when one of the stage-hands was seen preparing one of several cardboard coffee cups to be used that morning. "It does stuff to my guts. You wouldn't thank me."

"Well we can't have you falling you asleep and we can't do this with only two judges,"the Upper then explained, gingerly ruffling the Montana's hair and being batted away in tired frustration as a result. "Can we at least get you some Blue Dragon? Kaizin? La Crama? Something to wake you up?"

His response was another round of gentle, growly snoring as Tino had once again fallen asleep in his slumped sprawl. Sighing in good faith, Colin then gestured to the other two judges to come and help as he began to approach gently move the sleeping male from his seat.

"Colin, what are we going to do?" Lady softly asked, tottering a little in her heels during their moving operation. "You just said yourself that we can't do this with only two judges."

"Two steps ahead, Lady. I've had a reserve on speed dial just in case one of you were ever out of action, and I'll think she'll appreciate her sudden time to shine. Just take it easy on her, ok?"

~

Feeling himself slowly waking up and 'coming to', Tino found himself in the threatre's green room. He could hear the sounds and voices of the auditions through the speakers and wondered why he was at a table flooded with biscuits and glasses, rather than at the panel and doing what he had grown to love in a short space of time. However, his oncoming yawn and his glance at the white, ticking clock was enough to answer his question. It was half past ten and it was obvious he'd been far too stuck in slumber to be judged fit for judging.

It seemed that he wouldn't be alone for too long when, just a few moments later, Lady and Palmer entered the green room; the former smiling as if Tino had woken up from a coma rather than mere sleep, and the latter sighing with relief, they were soon followed by who Tino could only assume had been his replacement, and it somewhat made him question their suitability for talent shows of all things.

"Tino, thank Christ you're awake," Palmer said, making it obvious to the new face that they would not soon be missed from the panel. "She has just been a nightmare, seriously. I understand that you appreciate looks and beauty and all that crap but this is Clint City's Got _Talent_, not Clint City's Next Top Model. Though in your case, that should be _Whore_."

"He's not going to be able to help you," the new female sneered, crossing her arms in quite a confident and cocky manner. "If he calls me, I'll just tell Bianca and then he'll get backlashed."

"And who's she going to believe, Sydney?" The blond male retorted, raising an eyebrow. "Her loving boyfriend who gave her a child, or some poisonous little viper who started a rumour that almost wrecked her career?"

"At least I have a career," the female then countered, almost spitting the words out in disgust and seeming reluctant to make eye contact with Tino. "It's not like you're here because of fame. _Infamy_, more like! Colin was probably too scared to question Pallack's decision incase his 'no' made him a literal meal."

"I don't eat people alive, you stroppy little cagna!"

"Who said anything about eating them alive, _Jeffrey_?" She then sneered, acting cocking through her fright by making a reference to Jeffrey Dahmer. "You call yourself Montana and yet the death of an innocent isn't beneath you. At least Scarface only fucked with those who fucked with him first."

"Why don't you do us all a big favour, _Paris_, and get the cazzo out of here."

"Please do," Palmer said in agreement, darting her a dark stare. "For the love of all gawd, please do and take your violations with you."

Feel her mouth gape open in a gasp, Sydney tried to come back with some sort of venomous remark and found herself even growling a little when none came to mind. Deciding that she didn't want to waste any more time with the losers, she simply left the green room with her head held high as if she was choosing to leave rather than basically having been forced to through group pressure.

Palmer also had his head held high too, but it was for a different reason; a huge grin on his face as if Sydney's departure was the best thing in the world (and to some degree, it was), he managed to push his mysophobia aside as he pulled both Lady and Tino close for a slighly clumsy, yet heartfelt group hug.

"Now that we have our true and original line-up back, let's get back to some auditions before it's time for lunch."

~

"Were you watching the same thing, Tino? That was entertainment there!"

"No disrespect to the guys but that was just a shameless parade of dirty flesh."

The current auditionees on stage were a group of male dancers who, despite their initial impressions due to their lack of shirts, were advocates for the contemporary genre of dance. And whilst their smooth moves had won over the hearts of the audience, the judges seemed split, with the Montana member seeming irked because of their shirtlessness.

"Let's be fair, Lady, you only liked it because their shirtlessness reminds you of Jonas."

"Palmer, there's one yes and one no," she began, choosing to ignore Tino's comments as she turned to the Sentinel. "It's up to you and our little gangster's getting cranky from hunger. Should they go through or not?"

Looking at Lady, then at Tino, then at the auditionees before looking down at his feet and seeming really uncomfortable, it was as if Palmer really didn't want to make a decision; no matter which he picked, he'd end up pissing off one of his fellow judges and he didn't want to do so so close to lunchtime.

"I'm...I'm going to say no," he said, managing to get the words out of his mouth. "You're good, don't get me wrong, but compared to some of the other acts...you're not really up to par."

"You're only saying that because you're scared of what he might do if you disagree with him," Lady retorted, though her words sounded more amused than annoyed. "If you agree with me, you can agree with me."

"Read my lips, Lady," Palmer then said, seeming rather serious as he looked her in the eye. "I don't think they're good enough. Please don't auto-assume that I fear being on his plate because I don't. Though speaking of plates, it's time for lunch. Sorry, guys. Maybe next year."

With the decision final, the group left the stage feeling a little disappointed at said decision, but feeling proud that they'd had the courage to show their stuff in the first place. You never knew until you tried. But one thing the judges knew was that lunch was now and it was tried and tested that lunch was a _good_thing.


	9. Part 5 5

With food in their stomachs and a good half an hour to kill, the three judges had decided to visit Dorian; the Rescue hospital being only five minutes away on foot, they'd thought it a lot better and more respectable than simply sitting around their judges' panel and idly chatting away the time they had left. And inside the hospital ward, they were chatting away to the recovering influential, who seemed keen to learn everything about what and who he'd missed.

"We can't really let slip about the auditions, Dorian, not even to you," Lady said, sounding a little guilty at simply mentioning the fact. "Besides, we're more worried about you. What did the Rescue say?"

"They said that I'm on route to clearing up nicely after just the first session, because of early detection. They shouldn't have to touch down below and my hair's completely safe," he replied, seeming genuinely happy at the fact that he wouldn't be losing on top."Just as well about down there because, well, I don't even let myself go down there."

"So you don't...you know," Tino stumbled, once again proving that he couldn't say the word 'masturbation' without feeling the need to go a little green.

"No, no I don't," Dorian replied, chuckling at the cannibal's expense before he felt a sudden twinge in his side; face wincing as if in terrible pain, he was quick to signal that he didn't need any of the judges' help. It was just a twinge, it was being caused by the treatment and it wasn't close to some of the injuries he'd endured on 'The Dorian Brown Show'.

"Besides," he then said, shuddering a little but clearly in less pain. "I'm not _too_bothered about them taking a testicle if the worst had come to the worst. I'm not about to break down or run around the ward like an crazed, upset lunatic. Might be awkward though if I ever let out my guilty feelings for..."

Dorian trailed off, going a little red at the fact he'd almost confessed something dear infront of two non-Uppers, before turning his attention to Lady.

"Can I trust you with a secret?" He asked, gesturing to her ear and smiling when she gave a sincere nod as she approached him. Gently whispering in her ear, there was no way Tino and Palmer could have caught wind of his words even if they'd wanted to.

"That reminds me!" Palmer suddenly chirped, sounding genuinely relieved that he'd remembered. "Dorian, are you having to stay at the hospital at all?"

"I have a weekly appointment just to make sure that nothing's coming back or rearing it's ugly head, but I should be fine for televisual commitments from the end of the month...why?"

"Colin told me to ask you if you could make the live semi-finals next month, and help choose the semi-finalists beforehand. You, me and Lady on the judging panel as originally intended..."

He trailed off when he noticed the disheartened look on Tino's face, as if he'd just been told he had cancer too instead of just being potentially cancelled from the show.

"Sorry Tino," Palmer said, apologetically placing a hand on the Montana's shoulder. "Colin doesn't trust the Montana enough to not try to interrupt proceedings. He must think your presence would give them more motive to crash the party, or think they have a vaild excuse to."

"Heh, it's ok," he replied, desperately trying not to care. "They say that if you have too long of a run as a replacement, it can ruin things."

But in all honesty, the Montana couldn't help but feel a little cheated out of his short run, especially when he'd seen all the auditions yet it would be partially up to Dorian to decide who went to the next stage. Yes, Dorian was excellent at deducing star quality and who would be likeable, but his experience of the auditions would be second-hand from videotapes and media opinions. If someone went through to the semi-finals that Tino didn't like, then they would certainly hear about it...


	10. Part 6

Despite earlier news of his departure, Tino was taking his final afternoon of auditions in his stride, as if he was really making the most of his time and making a name for himself. He even took a 'messy' bullet for Palmer on one occasion to save the Sentinel from a germ-fuelled panic attack, and had been ordered to clean himself up in order to stop the wardrobe department from stepping in and screwing with continuity.

Backstage in the bathroom facilities, the Montana was softly crooning to himself as he wiped the specks of rubbish off his leather jacket; suddenly swapping to half-assed impressions of his fellow judges, he then proceeded to judge himself in a rather jokey manner as he carried on cleaning up his jacket.

"_Tino, hun, I thought that was a-ma-zing_...why grazie, Lady..._well I thought it was ok. Nothing special but what are you going to do?_...what a refreshing yet considerate criticism, Palmer. Let me shake your hand..._please don't, that'll be health code violation 21, because I'm such a whiny little cagna_."

He couldn't help chuckling to himself as he wiped off the last bits of rubbish, muttering a somewhat light-hearted "a little bit of dirt never hurt anyone". However, his mood soon changed when he heard what sounded like a camera click; there was only one type of person who would need a camera so close to the backstage window, and that was a filthy, little paparazzo.

Any other time, Tino would have pushed the window open and grabbed the snooping paparazzo by the collar, yet he had a valid reason to simply stop at opening the window when he noticed exactly who he was.

"Mo?! The actual cazzo?!" He exclaimed, his tone a mixture of surprise and annoyance; surprised that the likes of Mo DiFalco would resort to snooping on something his own clanmates were involved in, and annoyed that the fact he was an Upper meant he couldn't beat him up too badly without Bianca having a go at him in the long run.

"Just be cool," Mo said, seemingly desperate to escape the situation as he straightened his journalist headwear. "All I want is the latest CGGT scoop for my website, ok?"

"How about the scoop where one of the judges had to beat a little sense into a nosy, little puntura?"

"I just wanna know if you're staying on or not," Mo stumbled, a little nervous laughter escaping him as he wasn't sure what to make of the other male's light-hearted threat. "There's been rumours and it's my job to give the people what they want."

"You basically want me to spill an executive decision about me not staying for the semi-finals so you get more website traffic," Tino sighed, his irritation then turning to himself when he realised what he'd just admitted. "Oh for cazzo's sake!"

As he eagerly scribbled down the media 'revelation', Mo failed to notice that the cannibal hadn't stayed too irritated for long, and didn't catch even the smallest glimpse of the smirk that was forming on his face. However, the smirk on the gossipist's own face was causing his company to grow more and more furious at the sheer cheek of his actions; his skin only saved from any potential punches when a familiar and slightly impatient voice called from speaker system.

"Tino, we can't wait here for you all day!"

"You got lucky," the Montana said, shooting the 'I'm watching you' gesture at the Uppers male before closing the window with such force that it knocked Mo off balance and onto his bum; the cannibal chuckling rather deviously to himself as he heard the other male's annoyed grumbling, he couldn't help but keep the grin on his face as he returned to the theatre.

"There you are," Colin said, signalling at the stage crew member next to him to tick something off their clipboard. "Now we can carry on...hey, wipe that smile off your face. You're not supposed to enjoy yourself."

However, his little jibe had all been in good faith, as the producer soon had a huge grin on his own face now that everyone was where they should be. With Tino back in his seat, the final auditions were under way as the last talented dregs of the soup that were Clint City were making themselves known, giving the judges an even more difficult time in regards to who would be best semi-finalist material. One of the best candidates arrived in the form of a tall, blonde, dog handler, Demi, who was effortlessly keeping her 'best friend' under control.

"Oh your dog is just gorgeous!" Lady cooed, sounding genuinely smitten. "What's the breed?"

"Maple's what they call a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever," Demi explained, smiling as she gently stroked the fur on top of the Retriever's head. "I've had her for seven years, been training for this kind of act since she was a puppy."

"And I'm guessing the act is doggy dancing?" The Upper replied, simpering a little at the cuteness of it all. However, her sentiments were not shared with the judge to her right who had suddenly became rather uneasy.

"Dogs on their two legs...it's not natural."

At that moment, Maple had decided to make her way towards the judging panel; causing Palmer to yelp when she jumped into his lap, it seemed the licking of the face was too much as the Sentinel hurriedly yet carefully let Maple hop off said lap, before running off to wash the slobber from his cheek.

~

"Apart from the slobber...that dog-dancing act was genuinely amazing. I think it's safe to say that the auditions ended on a high."

Still smiling as he shuddered a little at the flash of memory that had struck him, Palmer turned to Tino and Lady, eager to hear their opinions on the afternoon's events. However, their talk was soon cut short when Colin approached the panel with a smile on his face almost identical to Palmer's.

"I really have to hand it to you guys, you really know how to pick them," he said, even applauding them as he spoke without a hint of sarcasm in neither word nor action. "From what I've seen and heard, these semi-finals are set to be the best that the show has had. I'd hate to have to choose, honestly."

"Speaking of semi-finals," Tino began, completely in control as he looked the male Upper straight in the eye. "Colin, you gotta shift from a three judge panel to a four."

"You've already been told, Tino. I don't trust your clan enough to not crash the show."

"I can make them behave with the right threat," he said, grinning rather deviously. "And you could prove one of Mo DiFalco's rumours to be complete stronzate."

"That's Italian for bullshit," Lady then said, upon noticing the confused look on Colin's face. However, said confused look soon turned to one of intrigue, as if the male Upper was actually considering Tino's offer.

"Mo was sneaking around here earlier, well, backstage," Tino began to explain, rather calmly. "Whilst I was getting the merda, the shit, off my jacket. I caught him and nearly made him piss himself before he could start asking too many questions. You calling for me also cut his opportunity short, by the way. But I did end up letting slip about me not staying on for the semi-finals and he lapped it up like gold dust."

"And you made him truly believe that you not staying on was the truth, right?" Colin pondered, his attention focusing on the now-nodding Montana. With an answer on hand, he couldn't help letting a somewhat self-satisfied 'huh' escape him as he took what looked like a clipboard from one of his personal assistants.

"Mo's been spilling out every ounce of information about this show ever since it started," he began, scribbling away with pen in hand. "It would be nice to keep this one thing from him and prove him wrong. Ok, Tino. As long as you keep your clan under control, you can stay on the judging panel."

"Yay!" Lady chirped, suddenly throwing her arms around the cannibal and giving him a big hug; Palmer seeming less enthusiastic, but managing to keep a smile on his face all the same, until Tino tried to hug him. Both Tino and Lady swore they could hear him mutter 'violation twenty-two' under his breath.

"Anyway, guys," Colin then announced, gently signalling to the judges that they could leave. "Semi-finals decision time coming up. I want you to all get a good night's sleep and meet me at Clint City Studios tomorrow, 8 am sharp. Don't let me down."


	11. Part 7

That next morning started with the four judges crowded around a table full of photographs, each capturing the image of an auditionee that had impressed them enough to even be considered for a chance at the semi-finals. However, whilst those in the photographs were bright-eyed and busy-tailed, as the saying went, the four judges seemed a little tired due to another early morning at Colin's demands.

"Do we really have to do this _now_?" Tino asked, yawning rather loudly.

"It gives the chosen acts more time to prepare," Dorian explained, in an odd mixture of calm and bluntness. "You don't want to see them all do the same thing again, do you?"

"I wouldn't mind seeing _that_ routine one more time," Palmer chuckled, pointing to one of the photographs and grinning in a manner of giddiness and pervertedness; his expression soon causing sore ankles when he felt both Lady and Dorian kick him with their silver heel and heavy dress shoe respectively.

"Tino, help me out here."

"Out of respect for my girlfriend, I'm saying nothing," Tino said, his focus seemingly on another photograph. It was as if he was trying to learn everything about the act from that one still of time; soon pulling his face and brushing the photograph off the table, it was obvious that it was one act he didn't want through.

"What was wrong with them?" Lady questioned, shaking her head and bending down to pick up the photograph. "I thought they showed a lot of promise."

"Yes, promise. Not talent," Dorian retorted, glancing up from the photographs with one eyebrow raised.

"I think there's the saying of all style and no substance," Tino began. "Like when Aniki's trying to cook. It's all arranged nicely but it tastes like merda."

"Speaking of all style," Dorian then said, sounding a little suspicious. "Does this lady remind you of anyone?"

With Dorian gently pushing the other photographs into two piles to isolate the offending picture, they were soon studying it as if they were Sentinel during an interrogation instead of four judges from a popular yet trivial talent show.

"She does look familiar," Lady said, her tone then turning from thoughtful to impressed. "Her style is still so great. I'd so love to go glam shopping with her some time-"

"OH FOR CAZZO'S SAKE!"

The three other figures in the room slowly and unsurely turned their attention to the sudden snapper; feeling his clenched fist shake a little out of rage, Tino was trying hard not to lose it too much and failing somewhat miserably. However, his anger seemed more focused towards the photograph than towards his present company.

"You guys are just too much, you really are! You knew people would have eyes on you to make sure you couldn't crash the party so you crashed the party prep instead! Seriously, if Don hadn't made me promise anything, I would so kill you all once I got back to the Palace! Jesus Christo!"

"That was quite an articulate outburst, Tino," Dorian said, seeming the least shaken of the other three in the room and bravely not skipping a beat. "Care to explain what that was all about?"

"Carmela," he said, throwing the photograph back onto the table. "Carmela is Bella!"

"How the bloody hell did you fail to realise that when she auditioned?"

"Enough changes and it throws you off the scent," he replied, placing a hand to his head as if he suddenly had a headache. "Her background, making her hair look dyed, even changing her singing style. No wonder my gut told me that I was being silly by suspecting anything."

At that moment, he took the picture of his clanmate-turned-auditionee and ripped it right through the middle, making it clear that she would never make the cut as far as he was concerned. Glancing up at the other three judges, he felt a wave of relief come over him when Palmer was holding the bin and seeming more than happy to see the tattered remains have a new home there.

"I know what you promised Colin," he said, calmly and reassuringly. "But Colin doesn't have to know, ok?"

Giving a single nod, Tino continued to go through the other photographs with the other judges; Carmela's soon not being the only one to find a home in the bin as they began to decide more and more acts who certainly _hadn't_ made the grade. Their discussions took them all the way until lunchtime, with Palmer's stomach giving a somewhat stifled growl upon placing the last photograph on top of the semi-final pile; the Sentinel soon looking a little embarrassed at it all, though the three other judges were more concerned with where to go for lunch.

~

"Would any of you like to tell me what we're doing here in a dump like this?"

Due to the combined factors of ease of access, money and the judges' eating habits (especially where Tino was concerned), the judges had treated themselves to a lunch of fried, crispy-skin chicken at none other than Clint City Chicken; well, two of them, as Dorian was never impressed when it came to the fast-food joints, and he kept claiming that Lady's dinner date with Jonas had blessed her with a lucky escape.

"Hey, it's the only place that specialises in the only non-flesh meat I like, now shut up and get it down you," Tino retorted, in the midst of ripping the chicken skin from the fleshy meat.

"Oh my word! Judges...judges!"

A tall, slim, middle-aged woman had suddenly approached their table, accompanied by three, eager-looking females of around 8 to 9 years old. She seemed apologetic at having disturbed the three males yet ever so excited at the same time that she'd had the chance to see them.

"Sorry to disturb you like this, but the girls love the show and I just know this year's series will be brilliant. Is it ok if they have your autographs?"

"Are they all yours?" Dorian asked, his curiosity piqued when his response was the giggly "No, silly. Naomi's mine but Nicola and Nadine are her cousins."

"Mr Mendel, could you sign this for me, please?" The blonde-haired girl asked, grinning as the Sentinel took and signed her flyer. "I saw you on the beach the other day but Mom said you were working so I didn't want to bother you."

"Your mom's a wise woman, Naomi," he responded, sneaking a cheeky wink in the older female's direction.

Nicola then stepped forward, with the judges assuming her name since her t-shirt had it printed in silver, glittery letters.

"Dorian," she began, her cheeks turning a little red from beneath her honey-brown locks. "My auntie's looking for a boyfriend and I think she would like you to be it."

"Well your mother's got good taste," the Upper responded, humouring both the little girl and the older female with a little chuckle as he tried his best not to smudge his own signature. "Unfortunately I'm not looking to date at the moment."

The last child of the trio, Nadine, then stepped forward, seeming rather nervous at the mere thought of standing before the four well-known faces; glancing up as she just couldn't manage to get her words out, she simply placed the flyer besides Tino's napkin, hoping to make it clear that she wanted him to sign it.

"You...you want me to sign this, signorina?" He asked, wiping the chicken grease from his fingers onto the napkin; blushing a little out of embarrassment as he'd almost picked up and sullied the flyer, he happily took the pen from Dorian's hands and began to sign.

If Colin ever found about the Carmela/Bella situation, then this is what Tino would miss most; the attention he usually received being that of disgust and horror, it was just nice to be received as a normal, human being that the public were looking up to. Especially when the likes of children were involved, as nine times out of ten they didn't just see you as someone worthy of looking up to, but a hero...


	12. Part 7 5

With Palmer having had to make quick work of the last few bites of his lunch due to an urgent clan call, Dorian and Tino had been left to simply talk and finish their meals in due time; well, Dorian did the talking and Tino did the finishing of both their meals, as the influential had predictably been unimpressed with the fried meat.

Now, they were talking as they walked, heading towards the Uppers Tower as the clan's butler, Jeeves, was unable to pick them up (though Dorian suspected that he'd told a little, green lie to avoid being in Tino's company). Somehow, their conversation had quickly strayed from the talent show to the influential's health.

"So what have they said?" Tino asked, shooting Dorian a somewhat concerned look. "On the road to all clear or what?"

"I hate to sound like a broken record, but it's what the doctors keep saying. Early detection means I don't have to go through as much chemo and I should be given the all clear soon," he explained, patting down a lock of hair and grinning in a way that screamed he was glad to be keeping what he had on top; once again, he was far more protective of his hair than of what he had down below. Then glancing at Tino, he couldn't help but looking a little confused as he noticed the cannibal's forlorn expression.

"I don't wish to sound harsh, but me getting the all clear is a _good_ thing," Dorian then said, chuckling nervously but soon turning concerned when the other male sighed.

"Mi scusi, Dorian," he said, shaking his head and just about managing to keep eye contact with the Upper. "I just got to thinking about how Rhiannon feels in all this, that's all."

"In all honesty, she doesn't know," the influential said, looking rather guilty yet a little relieved at the same time. "She's old enough to know, yes, but she gets worried about me so easily. I don't want her panicking about other things so close to exam time."

At that moment, the Montana still looked as if he was far away in his own little world; shaking his head once again when he finally 'returned' to reality, he shot an apologetic look in Dorian's direction.

"Mi scusi again, now the whole Carmela situation is eating me up again."

"It's like Palmer said. Colin doesn't have to know."

"Yes, but _I'll_ know," the Montana replied, without skipping a beat and sounding rather uncomfortable. "I don't know how an Upper deals with dishonour but over here in Mafia 'clan'-try...it just isn't an option."

"I wouldn't say this was dishonour exactly, since nothing's actually happened yet," Dorian said, realising he would have to be careful with his wording. "You just let a little fish slip from your net, that's all. But have you even thought there's the possibility that you might be wrong?"

"I think I know what my own clan members look like."

"True, but then everyone has their double in the world and Bella's might be right here in Clint City."

The Montana then had a flash of a smile on his face, realising that it was a possibility as they approached the Uppers Tower and the big, green, glass door that welcomed them.

"Saying hello to Bianca, Tino?"

"As much as I want to, I'd best not," He replied, looking a little guilty. "I promised Don I'd be at the Palace by half-two to help him with something. But I'll come see you guys tomorrow. I have enough on my plate tonight with my own clan."


	13. Part 8

In the dinner hours before the Palace's nightly opening, the Montana could sense that their fine, young(ish) cannibal was not entirely at ease; having watched him eat his flesh without a single word to even his 'brothers', they'd carried on their conversations and trivial jokes whilst wondering just what was up with him. For him, this was the most notable event of the day after his first experience of signing autographs and being recognised for fame rather than infamy, and his chicken lunch had certainly been in better company as far as current events were concerned.

"Huh, what did you do, Tino? Eat some depressed meat or something?"

All eyes were on Tino once again, and once again he carried on eating as if he was inside his own, personal bubble. If he couldn't bring himself to contest Aniki's jibes or claims, despite their recent truce and uneasy yet stable friendship, then something was definitely eating away at him. Not another glance or look was shot in his direction until after the meal, when Tino seemed keen to keep everyone in their place despite the evening jobs and roles about to be fulfilled in that night's casino's ongoings.

"Guys, before you all start running off," he began, with the slightest, oddest tint of malice in his voice. "I want whoever had the idea of having 'Carmela' audition to own up before I rip their face off."

Feeling his own anger and tension rise when he was faced with silence, the blond simply darted a dark look across the faces of his fellow Montana before he continued.

"No one wants to 'fess up, do they? Well just now that I'll be kicked off the show for not being able to keep my clan in check if Colin ever finds out. And due to our reputation, he won't believe the truth that you sabotaged before I made the promise to keep you from sabotaging."

"To be fair, I never intended it to go this far."

Tino's attention was now fixed on Enzo, who just about managed to stay calm and collected under the pressure to get the right words out.

"We had a laugh about it at the time, about how funny it might be to sneak a clan member into the competition. Then Bella took it to far by getting all serious about it and demanding we all help in creating her Carmela alias."

"I wouldn't say I took it too far," the showgirl retorted, twirling a lock of loose hair around her finger. "Sitting in the Carmela get-up and demanding to be known by her around the Palace...now _that_ would be taking it too far. Don't even like being her that much anyway, to be honest."

"Then pull out from the semi-final decisions then," Enzo said, almost pleading with her. "Just make up some stronzate about...I don't know...you're really sick or something."

"But...I don't want to pull out. I think I could go on to win."

"Bella, can't you see that this is something the big guy enjoys?" He questioned, making honest light of the situation. "Surely you wanna see him happy and not fired disgracefully."

"I want to see him fired because I hate him," she replied, still sounding deadly serious. "Get blood on my favourite performance outfit and I couldn't give a rat's ass what happens to you."

"That was two and a half years ago!"

"Look, getting fired from some talent show is the least of his worries," she retorted, even sounding a little threatening. "If he gets in my way, there will be blood and it won't be on me!"

"Isn't that why you're pissed off with me in the first place?" Tino muttered, sounding rather irritated and preparing himself for Bella's inevitable, shrieky comeback. However, Enzo made himself heard before things got truly out of hand.

"Some talent show that he could help you _win_," he said, rather confidently. "Surely if he helps you win this, you'll finally forgive him for the blood thing."

"Just one small problem though," Tino said, sounding somewhat on edge. "I couldn't help you win even if I wanted to. You didn't make the cut-"

"How the hell did I not make the cut?!"

In her anger, Bella had banged the table with her fist with such force that all the plates and glasses jumped from their wooden standing place.

"Are you deliberately trying to piss me off?!"

"No, it's just that if Colin found out a clan member got into the auditions, he'll have my skin!"

His exclamation was met with a few uneasy chuckles and the muttered retort of 'opposite way around, surely.' Sighing, Tino slumped back in his seat as he realised that this was one argument he wasn't going to emerge victorious from.

"Oscar, tell him!" Bella then pleaded, hoping her boyfriend's smooth words could fix things for her. However, her only response was him raising his hands in a manner that said 'not my problem' and a rather apologetic "Oscar ain't getting involved in this shit, honey."

"Oscar better get involved or Oscar ain't getting any tonight!"

If there was one thing that Bella believed about guys, it was that they were never too quick to ignore sexual threats; arms folded in a confident way, she had been so sure of her 'win' in the argument that the male's next words kicked her down worse than anyone expected.

"Heh...Oscar can live with that."

As the table erupted into a full-blown, clan-wide rabble, Tino had taken advantage of his fellow Montanas' distraction to slip upstairs without being noticed; having initially intended to go straight to his room, he couldn't help taking a detour to Mort Bax's quarters to take what looked like a book from the shelf. Whilst Mort Bax had never been a judge on a talent show, he had always wanted advice on how to keep his nerves under control during key magic performances, and Tino was keen to grab a slice of said advice for himself in regards to the semi-finals.

As he lightly threw himself onto the bed, the cannibal opened the book and attempted to immerse himself into the text.

"Confidence is not born, it is made. However, it is to be expected that the spark is easier to ignite in some people than others. The first step is to...oh Jesus Christo, this is _BORING_!"

Throwing the book onto the floor as he sprawled himself out on the bed, the blond soon found himself sitting up when Oscar was standing outside his room door; stepping forward upon being given the ok, he seemed genuinely calm and apologetic.

"Oscar just wanted to come and apologise for Bella's behaviour. Think it might be her time of the month or some lady dope like that. We cool?"

"You don't need to apologise for your girlfriend," Tino replied. "We're cool. Heh, we're more than cool. We're like ice."

"Ice, huh?" The black male pondered, before shaking his head as if deciding against letting his next words be heard. "I was gonna say something but that would have been so uncool of me."

Noticing his fellow Montana still looking tense despite a chuckle and a shake of the head, Oscar realised that a bit of 'heart to heart' might have been required.

"Tino...Oscar kinda knows how you feel. Oscar was involved in one of the big talent shows back in Polchadie-Golgovine and faced a big decision that was between leaving with honour and being fired in disgrace. You wanna know what Oscar did? The right thing. Oscar left with his dignity, and whilst Oscar not saying that Tino has to be like Oscar and do what Oscar did, Oscar just saying that you should do the right thing. Get what Oscar's saying?"

"Yeah...I think I get what Oscar's saying," Tino responded, looking genuinely thoughtful before he felt a cheeky grin on his face. "Tino's gonna do what Oscar did. But you have to promise me something."

"What?"

"If I _ever_ start referring to myself in the third person again, I want you to get Aniki to shoot me," he replied, chuckling at his clanmate's expense before stifling his humoured self. "I'm only kidding, Oscar. But seriously, I'm gonna need someone to drive me to the Uppers Tower tomorrow morning before I have time to back out of doing this thing..."


	14. Part 8 5

The last light to go out in the living quarters of Borgia's Palace was that in Tino's room; having spent the last hour or so writing up what seemed like a resignation, he'd felt it was the best thing to do to avoid tension from both parties (the parties being his fellow Montana and his fellow CCGT judges).

_To all involved with the show, especially Colin and my fellow judges,_

Something has happened during the course of this show that was beyond all my control yet something I should have foreseen. And whilst no harm was done, I cannot carry on knowing what has happened. There, I'm leaving the show before I let my feelings conflict with my duties.

Upon muttering his scribbled words, the blond couldn't help shaking his head and muttering "way too dramatic and formal" as he began to amend with a scribble here and a rub-out there.

_To all involved,_

Colin was right. The Montana can't be trusted and Bella was Carmela. Since this'll somehow be my fault, I'm leaving the show before anyone can be too mad at me and anything too bad can happen. Ciao.

As he noted down his last word, Tino heard a sigh as footsteps approached and stopped outside his door; sensing the figure waiting outside said door for a few moments, he waited until the figure decided it was time to break the silence.

"Tino, it's half past one in the morning. What are you doing?"

"It's just something regarding CCGT, Jimmy," he replied, just about managing to stop a yawn from escaping him. "I've just about finished though I'm struggling with one word."

"Montana doesn't have two n's in it, if that's what you're wondering," was the blunt yet cheeky reply, with both men chuckling at the comment as if it was the funniest thing in the world. "Even Griezzo knows that and he's a bit...you know...hoo-hoo."

"If you were someone else, I swear I would kill you," Tino replied, still chuckling as he heard Jimmy step away from the door and make his way along the corridor. Then turning his attention to his written words, he managed to scribble down just one more, 'Scusa', before he felt his heavy eyes close themselves and his head lean on the hard, wooden desk. To the English eye, it seemed like a funny, foreign word with most possibly the most random meaning in the world. But the Italian version of 'Sorry' had more than enough feeling as far as current events were concerned...


	15. Part 9

"Are you sure you want to do this, Tino? You've had such a good run and recent polls have named you one of the most popular judges right now. Don't know how you've done that, but still."

As producer and cannibal sat in the the former's office, the later was in the midst of announcing his resignation from the show. It hadn't been the easiest decision for Colin to agree with, but the Upper had learnt during his time in the business that it was important to see the situation from the other side, and whilst he couldn't fully understand Tino's uncomfortable feelings, he wasn't about to deny them.

"I can't really carry on knowing what's happened," the Montana replied, just about managing to make eye contact with the producer. "I made a promise that was broken as soon as it was made. And that's...that's kinda the blunt of it. I hope you understand why I can't really stay on."

He'd felt a sigh interrupt his words, but it was the least of his worries when he felt the Upper's somewhat concerned yet confused stare, especially when Colin was about to ask one of the more obvious questions.

"What do you mean?"

"It turns out that one of my clan entered under the guise of an auditionee. She almost got through to the semi-finals had I not realised during the selection process."

At that moment, he noticed the bin that had been present during said selection process; gesturing to Colin to pass it to him, Tino easily retrieved the two photograph halves and put the pieces together for the confused Upper.

"Carmela was Bella," he simply said, avoiding eye contact with both producer and photograph as the former was gazing at the latter in a way that screamed confusion and disbelief.

"Is _that_ you're leaving? Is this...is this actually true?"

"I made a promise to you that I would keep my clan under control. But that promise is no more because my clan got in before I had the chance to stop them."

"Tino, the promise isn't broken just because you found out about something after you made the promise," Colin explained, with the slightest tone of pleading in his voice. "Could you...could you not reconsider this? I mean...you're already my golden guy by indirectly kicking Bella out of the competition before any damage was done. That must have been a difficult night at the Palace."

"No more than usual," the cannibal replied, sounding cheekily confident. "You should have seen the look on her face though when I told her she wasn't through to the semi-finals!"

"I can only imagine," Colin responded, shaking his head and chuckling at the slight silliness of it all. "I said it before and I'll say it again, I'm glad you guys had to make those decisions because it never got easier for me."

"And I still stand by my decision today," the blond said, unphased by the producer's disappointed-sounding sigh. "I'd like to step down from my role whilst my honour is still intact and my clan hasn't had time to ruin it."

"So you're worried about your reputation more than the show's? Is that it?"

"Colin, we Montana take commitments, promises, honour, you name it _very_ seriously. Huh, well, most of us. I can't _begin_ to count the amount of times that Enzo's...I'd better not say anything in case DiFalco's snooping. Anyway, I'm digressing! None of the public would have to know and you'd be fine with that but I would still know and I'd have to live with it. And believe me, a Montana with a heavy conscience is, as Don once called it, a rare and beautiful yet dangerous thing indeed."

The Upper raised an eyebrow at the possibility that someone like _Don_ had said something so poetic in regards to his dangerous and grizzly underlings, but he didn't take it further; sighing when he noticed the Montana had turned his back and was making his way through the door, he decided not to take that further with any persuasion or executive pleading to get him back. It was just one of those situations that Colin couldn't turn to his advantage no matter what.

And as Tino left the company of one Upper, he found himself walking into the company of another; upon turning around after closing the door, he soon found himself facing a smiling Bianca, seeming completely oblivious to the events around her. Well, she certainly hadn't been eavesdropping, as the infant in her arms would have made the task quite difficult, lest she wanted to keep him in her arms and off the floor.

"Buongiorno," she said, gently. "What was going on in there then?"

"That was...something ending," he said, pulling her close and smiling. "For the better, mind. It was a good run."

"It sure sounded it," she replied, feeling the smile on her face grow in size. "Faye...sorry, _Lady_ did nothing but sing your praises and say how you really knew what you were doing."

"That woman is too kind for her own good sometimes," he said, simpering a little and chuckling as he took the male infant from Bianca's arms, his attention then safely on Francesco Angelo for the next few moments.

"Hello there, little man. Did you miss your Papa?"

The infant's face immediately scrunched as he began to cry, causing the couple to exchange somewhat awkward glances; Papa quickly handing back to Mama, gentle rocking from the female was enough to calm the sudden upset, with Francesco Angelo soon softly giggling as if it was the most fun game in the world.

"So fickle," the adult male said, shaking his head at his son. "So, so fickle."

"Just don't be as fickle as decide that you want to come back tomorrow," Bianca said, sounding a little wary. "Colin hates people messing him around like that."

"Do I look like a fickle man, Bianca?" Tino asked, pretending to sound serious though grinning like a happy idiot. "I reckon Francesco Angelo gets it from you."

"Tino, I'm serious," the female replied, clearly not in the mood for any jokes or silliness. "Are you sure you've done the right thing?"

"Family honour is always the right thing," he began, with a sensible smile on his face. "And the judges and Colin and that...they weren't a conventional family, but they were still a family to me all the same. Heh, a little TV family, including the auditioning and viewing public. I'd be lying to them too, in a sense."

"I understand," Bianca said, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Still, better to leave with honour than be forced to leave in disgrace, si?"

"Si."

At that moment, the couple noticed Dorian stepping out of his room; the influential looking up and noticing them, he nodded at Tino and then Bianca, with the couple returning the favour. Then opening his mouth as if he was about to say something, Dorian decided it best to say nothing at all, shaking his head as he began to make his way down the stairs.

"He's probably on his way to lunch," Bianca said, I saw Maurice preparing dishes when I passed the kitchen on my way up to find you."

"Then let's go and keep him company," Tino grinned, causing her to chuckle. "I can tell him all about the semi-finalists and just what their deals were in the auditions. Knowledge is power, right?"

It wasn't rare for the cannibal to make haste down the stairs when lunch was involved, but for once he was hungry for something other than consumables; suddenly quickening his step in a bid to catch up with the influential, Tino couldn't help but call after him as if heightening his bid to catch attention.

"Dorian! DORIAN! Hope you're up for a little pre-lunch chat because have I got news for you!"


	16. Finale

Hours turned to days, days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months and it was only a couple before the Clint City's Got Talent semi-finals had arrived. He may not have been there physically for the semi-finals but if the contestants' constant declarations and dedications meant anything, then Tino was certainly there in spirit. The judges often made remarks about whether their previous panel member would have loved or loathed particular performances, and many had said that his favourite act, Anya, could be sure that he'd been supporting her from behind the screen, despite the fact she hadn't made it to the final.

And the night of the final, a night that had seen the city dressed to the nines and a budget that bust a hole through the financial roof, had certainly given those present something to cheer about; the very moment that the winner of Clint City's Got Talent 2013 was announced, around 7 million jaws felt themselves gape open, with Colin's gaping most of all, but it was all for a good reason. The rules of talent had corrected themselves, and the entirety of viewers all agreed that a worthy act stood upon the stage.

Having been invited to watch the final in the front row, Tino couldn't help but feel proud of the winning act who was happily revelling in the success; a winning moment changing a personality from a humble soul to a confident egotist, but everyone agreed that the ego was allowed to be fed just this once.

"She was brilliant," he heard Bianca say, seeming genuinely impressed despite the kind of act on stage. "And she...she, right? She was brilliant. So much hard work, they really do deserve it. You said yes to that act, right?"

Not wanting to give the cameras any ideas with misinterpreted mouthing, Tino simply nodded as the applause and praise continued.

With the judges having been brought onto the stage to officially close the competition, Palmer noticed Tino and cheekily ushered him to come onto the stage; grinning rather deviously when the Montana refused to take a step forward, Palmer then took the microphone and daringly announced his existence to the audience.

"Oh my goodness, ladies and gentlemen, look who it is! Honestly, you leave the show and then we can't keep you away, can we?"

"Palmer, don't do this to me," was the somewhat embarrassed response, yet it was clear as anything that Tino was relishing the attention, as if it really meant the world to him that people were genuinely applauding and cheering his very being there. Before he knew it, Lady had managed to ease the crowd into a hyped chanting of 'Tino! Tino! Tino!', making it somewhat impossible for him to not move from his seat without being a spoilsport.

"Fine, fine, I'll come up," he responded, with a cheeky grin on his face and somewhat letting his present popularity go to his head. "The public gets what the public wants."

"Just get up here, Teeny!" Lady exclaimed, giving an excited, ushering wave.

"But mind the mess," Dorian said, doing his best to make himself heard in regards to the blond male. "Maple's done one in all her excitement."

Following suit after the other judges, Tino, upon making his way onto the stage, greeted the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever with a pat on the head and a tickle under the chin; his attention then turning to Demi as she suddenly gave him a hug, and then chuckling as she suddenly retracted with a slightly embarrassed look on her face.

"Bianca's not the jealous type," he said, the hype and cheering drowning his speech to the celebrating public. "Oh, careful. Don't want her getting sick."

Noticing Maple trying to eat the petals of one of the red roses from the bouquet she'd been given in congratulations, Demi quickly 'rescued' it with a pick-up from the floor and replaced the slightly damaged flower into its rightful slot.

"Couldn't you have gotten me roses that matched with my outfit?" She asked, her tone in good faith as she looked down at her peacock-blue ensemble. "Blue roses do exist, you know. They're still beautiful though."

"Just like you," Tino said, grinning cheekily. "Congratulazioni, Demi."

"Well deserved, Demi." That was Dorian.

"Yeah, congratulations, Demi." That was Palmer.

"You rock, Demi!" That was a rather excited Lady.

Despite the loudness of their words in a bid to be heard, the speech on stage was not the only talk drowned out by the public, as Colin was quick to comment to a member of the stage crew as they applauded from behind the scenes.

"At least the dog wasn't being eaten this year," he said, causing the stage-hand's expression to turn from calm joy to scared disgust.

"Is _that_ what happened last year?"

"How the hell did you not know that?!"

"I'm just a general stage-hand," was the response. "I get sent to wherever needs some extra help, I don't really give a fig about major networks or talent shows. This is the first year I've actually watched this show. Yeah, late to the party, I know."

Colin chuckled and shook his head, making it clear to the stage-hand that he somewhat admired the honesty in his presence, before turning his attention back to the events on stage. With the cameras finally finished in their rolling and the show wrapped up for another year, Maple had chosen that first moment of freedom to jump up at a panicky Palmer and try to lick his face whilst the other judges did their best to prise them apart.

"Shame," Colin muttered, chuckling and shaking his head once more. "That would have made a cute little bit of comedy to finish a fantastic year."

~

So what happened after the show? Firstly, Colin's convictions of it being a fantastic year were not just egotistical self-belief; according to all the papers, magazine and internet articles, that year's Clint City's Got Talent was the highest-rated series yet, with every audition show, semi-final and the grand final topping the ratings and beating the nearest competitor by at least a couple of million viewers. Had Dorian's show been in the evening, then there would have been some manly, slighted 'dewed' eyes before evening dinner.

A whole multitude of occurrences happened over the few months following the competition. First of all, Dorian was given the all-clear in regards to his testicular cancer and as a public instruction to help other potential sufferers spot early detection, had dedicated an upcoming special of 'The Dorian Brown Show' to experiences and stories from around the city. He'd also had to reject an eager Pallack's help three times before the artiste backed down from being involved, though fights almost occurred when news spread of Dorian personally asking clan mate Gail to provide a little help.

Rumours had spread that Lady and Tino had began dating but both were adamant that they just had a close friendship and that they were both still happily with Jonas and Bianca respectively. Both couples had been seen more regularly on double dates following the competition and were becoming a more and more regular sight on Clint Hints. In regards to Mo DiFalco and his website, no real support or backlash flared up when his rumour of Tino's departure was true, and Colin was happy enough to have had a rumour not be completely true; Mo had written of the Montana's dismissal, rather than the honourable resignation.

Wanting to take advantage of the spectacular reception to "Carmela's" audition, Don offered Bella a few extra clintz to her commission for each nightly performance she delivered as her alias. This didn't last for terribly long and it wasn't the most comfortable week of Bella's life, as she felt as if she was slapping Tino in the face with the very reason he felt was why he had to leave. However, she felt a lot better when she heard that Don had been given the ok by his 'son' to even consider proposing the offer in the first place.

And in regards to the next year's stint of the competition, Colin had take back his policy of no clans in the hope that his favourite replacement might be coaxed to come back. However, Tino made it clear that in terms of judging, he intended to keep hold of his honourable leave; instead, opting to ask for some kind of production or executive role if the producer was that keen to have him return. Colin responded by making him the host, due to the confident, bold nature he'd seen during his judging period.

Clint City's Got Talent 2014, with your host, Tino Martinet. He liked the sound of that. He liked the sound of that a lot, and he hoped the public would love him just as much as a host as they did with him as a judge. Until then, he had to focus on his duties and work back at Borgia's Palace. But most importantly, he had to focus on being a good role model and father to his son. No matter the situation, there was nothing honourable about a leave from fatherhood, and it was one leave he wasn't ever willing to take.


End file.
